Mexico's journalist safety net: Flawed protection system leaves reporters exposed

Mexico’s federal safety program for journalists is failing the people it was built to shield.

Alberto Amaro, 38, a reporter in Tlaxcala, heard two gunshots near his home three years ago. He called the federal Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, but no agent responded for more than 48 hours. He eventually secured a court order for family security. Since joining the program in 2019, Amaro has logged over 30 violent encounters, including death threats and detention linked to his coverage of local politics and crime. In 2023, the agency assigned him bodyguards after he reported threats from a mayor. Officials later tried to remove those guards even though they acknowledged his high-risk status. A judge ordered a new risk assessment. Amaro, who founded the digital outlet La Prensa de Tlaxcala, said he worries daily about surviving his day and keeping his protection in place.

Priscila Pacheco, 34, has fought for security since her father, Francisco Pacheco, was shot dead outside their home in Taxco, Guerrero, in 2016. Francisco reported on local corruption for the outlet El Foro de Taxco. Priscila was the last person to see him alive. She and her family fled days after the murder and remain displaced more than a decade later. The killing is unsolved. Priscila now works for the state-level protection agency in Toluca, but the federal system denies her personal protection because of her public employee status. Her family’s security equipment, including cameras and locks, is poorly maintained. Police patrols are often skipped unless formally requested in writing. At annual reviews, she must plead with more than 20 officials to keep their limited safeguards. She said her family will not return to Taxco while violence continues.

Jonathan Cuevas, 38, spent three years displaced from Iguala, Guerrero, after threats tied to his reporting on organized crime. The federal agency moved him between three safe houses in Mexico City starting in 2020. He returned to Iguala in 2023 only after rival criminal groups reached a truce. After his return, two people threatened him to stop covering the local prosecutor’s office. Cuevas said the agency documented the threats but did not coordinate with federal prosecutors. He refused bodyguards because they would make him a larger target. He criticized the system for prioritizing safe houses over allowing journalists to work in their communities.

A joint investigation by Amnesty International and the Committee to Protect Journalists found that eight journalists were killed while enrolled in the federal Protection Mechanism between 2017 and 2022. The Committee to Protect Journalists has documented seven journalist killings in Mexico in 2026, with six occurring in less than three months. Propuesta Cívica, a legal support group, estimates that 98 percent of journalist homicides in the country remain unpunished. Vanessa Carrillo, the group’s codirector, said the mechanism is hampered by bureaucratic delays and insufficient staffing. She argued that the system’s success should be measured by its ability to reduce risks and prevent attacks, not just investigate them. President Claudia Sheinbaum said in 2025 that the agency could receive additional funding if needed. Reporters Without Borders said the government has made little progress on its press freedom commitments, including a promised review of the mechanism. The federal agency declined to be interviewed for this story.